Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Drug war censorship

It has long been evident that the Drug War is bad for America. Crime in the streets, millions in prison, violations of civil liberties, along with tens of millions of people still using drugs. So where's the benefit?

It turns out that the Drug War also threatens free speech. One of the most important organizations opposing the Drug War is Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP. It has started a new blog by a cop who believes he must remain silent, or be fired. He writes:

As an active duty veteran police officer, I would love to publicly join Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and freely speak out against the drug war. However, I am scared, yes scared, to join LEAP publicly. Although many active duty law enforcers are already speaking out publicly with LEAP and maintaining their careers (more on them later), I believe I would be punished by my department for my advocacy or perhaps even fired.

We need a full and honest debate on drug prohibition. Including the participation of law enforcement officers able to speak openly without fear of retaliation.

"Weather forecasts are often unreliable but would you send your local weather forecaster to jail for 10 years? A newly proposed law in South Africa would punish unauthorized weather forecasts with jail time and fines, according to the Mother Nature Network.

The law would require state-sanctioning for any weather forecasts issues outside of the government's South African Weather Service (SAWS).

The proposed law, if put into effect, would affect weather outlets including the SA Weather and Disaster Observation Service (SAWDOS), which relies on weather reports submitted by the public. SAWDOS was recently credited with issuing timely warnings for three storms that may have helped to mitigate property losses and damage.

"As the amendment bill now reads, nobody will be able to issue any warning of approaching severe weather," SAWDOS founder Johan said in an interview with the Daily News. "Experience has taught us that to get permission from any institution takes time — that is if you can get hold of the designated person."

Monday, January 30, 2012

Atheists are a protected class?

We read:

"While it was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that defended teen atheist Jessica Ahlquist in her successful quest to have a prayer mural removed from her Rhode Island public high school, the FFRF is also rushing to the young girl’s defense.

Citing discrimination, the organization is filing a civil rights complaint after numerous florists refused to deliver flowers to the girl.

The FFRF reportedly tried to have a dozen roses delivered to Ahlquist with the message, ”Congratulations, and hang in there, with admiration from FFRF.”

After being denied by three florists in the Cranston, Rhode Island, area, the group was eventually able to secure an order from a business located in Connecticut.

According to FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, Twins Florist, one of the businesses that refused to deliver, violated the Civil Rights Act when the business discriminated based on Ahlquist’s atheism. Gaylor released the receipt order from the florist, which reads, “I will not deliver to this person.”

The florists, though, disagree with Gaylor’s stance on the matter. Turnto10.com reports that Raymond Santilli of Flowers by Santilli, one of the companies the FFRF attempted to order from, explains that a foundation representative told him that the person delivering the flowers might need police protection.

He maintains that he has the right to deliver — or not — to whomever he chooses, because he owns the shop.

Twins Florist owner Marina Plowman echoed these sentiments. “I just chose not to do it. Nothing personal, it was a choice that I made. It was my right, so I did that,” she said. ”I’m an independent owner and I can chose whoever I want, whenever I want.”

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Comic about Hitler turning Jews into soap

It's certainly insensitive but it just a comic and, as such, unlikely to harm anyone. There will always be insensitive people around and we have to expect that they will express themselves insensitively on occasions. Free speech protects insensitive people too. We should reserve our concern for people who do actual harm to others. There are plenty of those.

Certain subjects are so inappropriate as a subject for comedy, it’s a wonder any comedian or artist would see fit to take them on. One would hope the suffering of Jews about to be exterminated in Nazi concentration camps would be one of those. Apparently not so for one Argentine comic strip artist, who is now facing complaints from fellow citizens of the Latin American country.

The cartoon, by Gustavo Sala, depicts a DJ performing at a concentration camp and Hitler instructing inmates to “have fun because life is short.”

In the first panel, DJ David shouts: “Let’s f***ing dance! Party! Party!” To which the prisoners reply they have nothing to celebrate because they are going to be exterminated in mass.

None other than Señor Hitler enters in the third panel, telling the inmates in striped garb that a little fun can’t hurt, adding “have fun, because life is short.”

In the fourth and final panel, while the inmates dance wildly, Hitler thanks the DJ and quips, “If they are relaxed then the soap comes out much better.”

Just a day after publishing the anti-Semitic strip, the newspaper issued an apology on Friday.

If Christians are free to spread their gospel then atheists must also be free to spread their gospel. The wacky thing is that atheists feel the need to spread a gospel at all.

I suspect that these are not atheists at all but rather anti-Christian Leftists who would never dare criticize Islam. Saudi Arabia is a much more religious place than the USA. Let them put their billboards up there and see how far they get

Atheists have a way with billboards. In fact, it’s one of the primary methods many non-believers use to communicate with the public at large. This is exactly the method a Denver, Colorado-based group, called Boulder Atheists, is using to spread its message. Reaction to the group’s newest billboard, which targets those who hold a belief in God, has ranged from giggles to anger.

Boulder Atheists has erected three billboards that each read, “God is an imaginary friend. Choose reality, it will be better for all of us.” This statement, which will clearly offend the religious, is not intended to start problems, the group says.

Abraham Aryan, a local businessman, isn‘t happy about the billboards’ presence. “Anything with a derogatory message I don’t think should spread around. But they’re welcome to do it,” Aryan said. “Welcome to America, that’s one of the beautiful things about living here is you can do that.”

Considering Boulder Atheists’ track record, the alliance of non-believers is certainly not likely to apologize or rescind. In the end, the group’s leaders have the free speech and freedom to post such messages, but they may not spark the discussion they’re hoping for by taking such a confrontational route.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Man sues wronged women for outing him on the net

Free speech law means that he has to prove the alleged libel is untrue. Good luck with that!

He was the youngest prosecutor in Norwalk, Conn. He worked for the NFL and was an analyst on Court TV. But if you Google Matt Couloute, the first thing that comes up is: Liarscheatersrus.com, a site that warns women web-surfers about men who lie and cheat in their personal relationships.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Couloute, as he walked in front of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Manhattan. “Anyone can go online and do that to somebody.”

But in Matt’s case, his “slanderer” isn’t so anonymous. In fact, Amanda Ryncarz, Matt’s former girlfriend, fully admits posting on the site about their three-year relationship. "I posted on liarscheatersrus.com,” she said in a written statement, “because I wanted to warn other women in order to protect them from what I suffered.”

Couloute is now suing Ryncarz for “tortious interference with prospective business relations. It’s a case that could determine what people are and are not allowed to post on the Web.

What Ryncarz allegedly “suffered” is fully available to anyone who googles Couloute. It includes her detailed descriptions of Couloute’s broken promises and what she describes as a pattern of deceit.

Couloute says he can’t get away from the posts, which he says have ruined his life. He claims he’s lost clients, and it even got in the way of buying his dream home.

"Google has removed hundreds of web pages relating to former motorsport boss Max Mosley's sex life from its search results index, Britain's Leveson Inquiry on press standards has heard.

But the internet giant said it dealt with requests for material to be excluded on a country-by-country basis, meaning articles and videos might remain accessible on other national versions of its site.

Mr Mosley told the inquiry in November he had spent over £500,000 ($750,000) trying to restore his reputation after a March 2008 News of the World article alleging he had a "sick Nazi orgy", something he strongly denied.

He described his strenuous efforts to get articles removed from websites, adding: "The fundamental thing is that Google could stop this appearing but they don't or won't as a matter of principle."

Google legal director Daphne Keller on Thursday confirmed that someone in Mr Mosley's position would have to apply individually to have web pages, known as URLs, removed from the company's sites in different countries. She told the inquiry: "I would hope that wouldn't be a terribly difficult thing to do, and I can tell you that in his case we have removed hundreds of URLs."

Ms Keller said a defamatory video could be removed from one of Google's national sites but remain up on another. "If there is a country whose law says that that should stay up, then in that country we would comply with that law," she said.

But the lawyer rejected a suggestion that Google should block certain search terms. She said: "In the Max Mosley case, obviously there has been all kinds of news coverage about this very inquiry, and other coverage that's legitimate, and that you wouldn't want to disappear from search results."

The libel judgment in his favour obtained by Mosley was handed down in London by The Hon. Mr. Justice Eady. Mr Justice Eady is well-known for leaning towards the plaintiff in libel suits, bringing that entire area of British law into disrepute. His notorious judgments often lead to censorship of material that most people would think should remain uncensored. His ruling was particularly obnoxious in the Rachel Ehrenfeld case, causing the NY legislature to pass a special law to protect her from any consequences of Eady's judgment. So I have no confidence in Eady's ruling favouring Mr Mosley

That lack of confidence is strongly supported by the fact that Mosley has made strenuous efforts to have the video of his behavior suppressed. If the video just showed him having a cup of tea, why would he want it suppressed? Clearly it does at least in part support the allegations made.

To help circumvent the Mosley/Eady censorship attempts, I have made a copy of one report of the matter that is still up and reposted it here. Under U.S. law it would be regarded as in the public interest for public figures to have information about their deeds known.

I am not in fact particularly critical of Mr Mosley's actions in this matter. As I see it, it is Mr Justice Eady who has poisoned the well in the matter. He appears to have developed de novo a law of privacy that has no regard to the truth or merit of the allegations. The USA is not alone in having unelected judges who create law that would never pass muster before a democratically-elected legislature.

So until the British parliament steps in, I will continue in skepticism towards British libel judgments. The problem is well-known in Britain and the present government has promised corrective legislation -- but no such legislation appears to be on the horizon yet.

Friday, January 27, 2012

How can you be "offended" by cards such as the above? If you were a real atheist they would just be a pretty card with an old-fashioned message on them. If I called the complainers miserable sick whiners that might justifiably offend them but that is nothing like the cards above

"Alaska Airlines is ending a decades-long tradition of handing out prayer cards with their in-flight meals because an increasing number of passengers were offended by them.

Alaska Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the decision was made out of respect for all passengers, and follows feedback from customers that they preferred not to mix religion with transportation.

'The decision reflects respect for the diverse religious beliefs and cultural attitudes of Alaska Airlines' customers and employees,' the company said in announcing the change.

'Some customers were comforted by the cards and some didn't feel religion was appropriate on the plane and preferred not to receive one,' she said.

The cards began as a marketing ploy 30 years ago to differentiate the regional airline from its competitors. The company admits the idea was borrowed from another airline.

Since 2006, when the airline stopped offering meals to customers in the main cabin, the cards have only appeared on meal trays in first class.

For a long time, Alaska Airlines got more positive comments than negatives ones. But lately, opinion has shifted.

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on Friday accused Newt Gingrich of using racial “code words” in calling President Barack Obama the “food stamp president” and saying schools ought to hire children to do janitorial work.

The Texas congresswoman’s comments came in response to a question about remarks she made on the House floor Wednesday, when she said there are “candidates like Newt Gingrich who want to throw fuel and matches and fire to develop sort of an explosiveness in this country” and there are “underlying suggestions” to calling Obama the “food stamp president.”

“[With Gingrich] It is ‘I will use race to divide. I will call the president the food stamp president,’” she said. “Telling us that a janitor who makes $37,000 would be in a better position to give his job up so that the children of the poor in New York…can pick up a broom and work.”

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Apology sought from Wisconsin school superintendent who bullied Christian teen over homosexual adoption

This disgraceful episode is now in the hands of the lawyers

"A 15-year-old Wisconsin boy who wrote an op-ed opposing gay adoptions was censored, threatened with suspension and called ignorant by the superintendent of the Shawano School District, according to an attorney representing the child.

Mathew Staver, the founder of the Liberty Counsel, sent a letter to Superintendent Todd Carlson demanding an apology for “Its unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation” of Brandon Wegner.

Wegner, a student at Shawano High School, was asked to write an op-ed for the school newspaper about whether gays should be allowed to adopt. Wegner, who is a Christian, wrote in opposition. Another student wrote in favor of allowing gays to adopt. Wegner used Bible passages to defend his argument, including Scripture that called homosexuality a sin.

The school immediately issued an apology – stating Wegner’s opinion was a “form of bullying and disrespect.”

But Staver said what the school system did next was absolutely outrageous. He said the 15-year-old was ordered to the superintendent’s office where he was subjected to hours of meetings and was accused of violating the school’s bullying policy.

“The superintendent called him ignorant and said he had the power to suspend him,” Staver said. “He’s using his position to bully this student. This is absolutely the epitome of intolerance.”

FOX News & Commentary offered Carlson a chance to address the allegations. He refused to submit to questions, but did say he would send a statement. That statement never arrived.

Staver said an apology from the superintendent may not suffice – and they may consider taking legal action. “It was a very intimidating situation for this 15-year-old boy,” he said.”It was uncalled for. He crossed the line. It’s absolutely outrageous and he needs to apologize for his actions.”

"An Air New Zealand crew member was sacked after she attempted to board a rival company's plane to have a look inside, then "spoke sarcastically" when she was denied.

Helen Watson, a flight services manager with 26 years experience, was dismissed in August last year and has now launched a personal grievance case against her former employer.

The airline alleges Watson, when waiting for the departure of her own flight to Rarotonga, saw an Emirates flight at an adjacent boarding gate using a Boeing 777-300 aircraft. As Air New Zealand was due to get the same model of plane, she asked to have a look on board.

When approached a short while later by an Emirates representative who asked why she had attempted to go on the plane, Watson allegedly replied: "Curiosity, do you know how to spell it?"

She then accompanied the representative back to the aircraft where she spoke with the chief purser and captain and apologised. However, Emirates later complained to Air New Zealand, which began the investigation resulting in her dismissal.

Air New Zealand said Watson's actions were partly responsible for the late departure of her flight, which she failed to disclose. It also listed "speaking sarcastically" and "breaching security protocols" among its allegations.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

TV watchdog Ofcom has rejected complaints that comedian Ricky Gervais's use of the word 'mong' during a stand-up show was offensive.

The Office star and controversial comedian claimed that Britain's Got Talent singer Susan Boyle looked like a 'mong' during his 'Science' live show on Channel 4 last year.

During a tirade about the Scots singer in October, Gervais said: 'She would not be where she is today if it wasn’t for the fact that she looked like such a f*****g mong.'

'When she first came on the telly, I went, "Is that a mong?" You all did.'

The jibes saw charity bosses write to Gervais to demand he stop using the word, which they saw is a cruel nickname for Down's Syndrome sufferers.

Ofcom launched an investigation, but today cleared Channel 4 of breaching guidelines on offensive content. The TV regulator ruled that although Gervais's comments could cause 'considerable offence', they were justified in the context of a late night comedy show.

Indian religions might seem strange to us but Indians take then very seriosly -- almost as seriously as cricket. A Prime Minister of India (Indira Gandhi) was assassinated for desecrating the Golden temple. I would advise Mr Leno to apologize profusely. There are a lot of Sikhs in the USA.

India is to formally object to a joke by US TV host Jay Leno in which he said that the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine for Sikhs, was a summer home for wealthy presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Minister Vayalar Ravi termed the gag by "The Tonight Show" host as "quite unfortunate and quite objectionable" and said the Indian embassy in Washington would raise the issue, the Press Trust of India reported on Monday.

In a dig at Mr Romney's privileged background during a show last week, Leno used a photo of the ornate Sikh shrine in the northwestern Indian city of Amritsar during a segment on the vacation homes of US Republican presidential candidates.

Angry members of the Sikh community in the US circulated an online petition protesting the "derogatory depiction" of the Golden Temple, adding that "Jay Leno's racist comments need to be stopped right here".

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Ravi said he had not watched the show himself but that the Sikh community in the US had lobbied him to take action against it.

"Freedom does not mean hurt the sentiments of others ... This is not acceptable to us and we take a very strong objection for such a display of an important place like Golden temple," Mr Ravi was reported to have said.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Ever-Expanding Concept of "Bullying" Casts an Ominous Shadow Over Free Speech‏

A school superintendant has labeled a column in a school newspaper that criticized homosexuality as “bullying.” (The Shawano High School newspaper decided to run dueling student opinion pieces on whether same-sex couples should be able to adopt children; the student article that was labeled as “bullying” answered the question “no.”)

Whatever the wisdom (or lack thereof) of featuring something like that in a school newspaper, it seems strange to argue that a viewpoint in a student newspaper is “bullying.”

A conservative Christian who thought that homosexuality was immoral successfully challenged a school “harassment” code that punished students with such viewpoints in Saxe v. State College Area School District (2001), a case in which a federal appeals court ruled that there is no “harassment” exception to the First Amendment for speech which offends members of minority groups.

But schools and anti-bullying activists have adopted incredibly overbroad definitions of bullying. The anti-bullying website NoBully.com, and schools like Fox Hill and Alvarado Elementary, define even “eye rolling” and other expressions of displeasure or hostility as bullying, even though doing so raises First Amendment problems.

Since “creating web sites” that “make fun of others” also is deemed “cyberbullying,” conservative websites that poke fun at the president are presumably guilty of cyberbullying under this strange definition.

"Taking inspiration from her perennially polarising co-host Kyle Sandilands, it was Jackie O suffering from foot in mouth syndrome yesterday, drawing the ire of gay rights groups following a homophobic on-air remark.

Discussing the topic of middle names just after 6am on the 2DayFM breakfast show, the mother of one said she no longer likes her middle name Ellen because it "sounds a bit lez".

A clear reference to famous US comedian and openly gay chat show queen Ellen DeGeneres, it was no surprise the comment quickly put O in the firing line of gay and lesbian rights advocates and once again surrounded the radio program in controversy, four days into their new radio cycle, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Monday, January 23, 2012

"A row has erupted over an atheist society at a top London University posting a cartoon sketch featuring the prophet Muhammad having a drink with Jesus on its Facebook page.

A student Muslim group is demanding the 'offensive' image of Jesus and Mo having a drink at the bar, taken from an online satirical sketch, be removed from the social networking site.

The president of the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist society at the prestigious University College London (UCL), Robbie Yellon, has stepped down over the controversy. But the Society still refuses to take down the image - claiming its right to defend 'freedom of expression'.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association's protest against the photo has been backed by UCL's Union. A UCL Union statement said: 'The atheist society has agreed they will take more consideration when drawing up publicity for future events.

The third-grade maths problems - which featured such questions as: 'If Frederick got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?' - sparked outrage among parents connected with the school, and led to a wider investigation in Gwinnett County in Georgia.

Gwinnett County schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach confirmed that a suburban Atlanta teacher had resigned over the homework at Beaver Ridge Elementary School in Norcross, and a further three were still under investigation.

She says the school system accepted the resignation of the teacher but declined to elaborate on the rest.

Parents were angered by the maths problems, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) had called for the teachers responsible to be fired.

Among other questions deemed offensive in the third-graders' homework, one read: 'Each tree has 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"

A third said: 'Susan B Anthony was fined $100 for voting for president. She only had $25, how much more did she need to pay the fine?'

School officials said it was an attempt to mix social studies with mathematics, but parents were horrified when their children brought the questions home.

The school has claimed that papers containing the offending mathematics problems have since been destroyed to prevent their future use.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Not so much fun being an atheist in a Muslim country

They whine about what they have to endure in America -- the terrible pain of prayers being said within earshot of them, mainly. They don't know whem they are well off. It's America's Christian traditions that give them tolerance and respect for their views

"An Indonesian civil servant who declared himself an atheist on Facebook was arrested and is now facing jail for blasphemy after being attacked by an angry mob, police said today.

Alexander An, 30, who wrote "God doesn't exist" on his Facebook page, was beaten by a mob of dozens on Wednesday in his hometown in Pulau Punjung, West Sumatra province.

"He is suspected of having blasphemed against Islam," local police chief Chairul Aziz told AFP.

"The man told police investigators that if God really exists and has absolute power, why didn't he prevent bad things from happening in this world."

Muslim fanatics who called for execution of gays face up to seven years in jail in Britain

Doubtful that they will get ANY jail -- unlike the white holocaust denier who got 4 years

"Muslim extremists who handed out leaflets calling for homosexuals to be hanged, stoned and burned to death were facing up to seven years in prison last night.

The group handed out the material in the street as well as posting it through letterboxes in a hate-filled campaign calling for the execution of gay people who they claimed were at the root of society’s problems.

Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed and Razwan Javed are the first to be prosecuted under new laws against inciting hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Yesterday as they were found guilty at Derby Crown Court, residents spoke of how the three fundamentalists wanted to transform their small area of Derby into a ‘medieval state’ under Sharia law. Anyone who dared to question their extreme agenda was branded an ‘M15 agent’ or a ‘sell-out,’ they said.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Citizens Sue to Stop ‘Lord’s Prayer’ Recitation at Delaware County Council Meetings

We read:

"Now, there’s another battle brewing in Wilmington, Delaware, over recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at public meetings. On Wednesday, a hearing was held in a lawsuit that aims to stop the Sussex County Council from reciting the well-known prayer before each meeting.

Interestingly, much of the argument is centered around whether or not the prayer is explicitly Christian. The county’s attorney, J. Scott Shannon, argues that the prayer is generic and, thus, doesn’t favor any particular faith. The plaintiffs, of course, disagree.

The council has been reciting the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of each Tuesday morning meeting for the past 41 years. The action, according to The News Journal, has been taken under both Democratic and Republican majorities.

But four residents are asking U.S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark to rule that this action violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AUSCS), a church-state separatist group, is defending the four citizens who would like to see the recitation ruled unconstitutional.

Attorneys for the council believe that a 1983 ruling — March v. Chambers — provides a foundation that defends the use of the Lord’s Prayer. In the ruling, it was found that a government-funded chaplain in Nebraska was constitutionally able to say a prayer before legislative sessions.

“It is not required that a prayer be inoffensive to all or that it be all-inclusive,” Shannon argued, going on to claim that Jesus Christ — a Jew — had originally uttered the prayer. ”(Jesus) was not offering a Christian prayer in the Christian tradition because no Christian tradition existed,” Shannon continues.

“I’m afraid you all might have brought me a difficult case because there is no reference to Jesus or Allah” [in the Lord's prayer] Stark said.

"Google Inc. and Facebook Inc., fighting a lawsuit in India against content deemed offensive by the government, asked a court to quash the case that underscores a clash over free speech in the world’s biggest democracy. ...

Vinay Rai, who edits an Urdu-language newspaper, asked the lower court to prosecute 21 companies, saying some material on their websites has the potential to incite religious conflict."

Friday, January 20, 2012

Syracuse U Expels Student who was disgusted by black racism

As a private university its students do not have 1st Amendment protection: A good reason not to enrol there.

"Syracuse University‘s School of Education has now effectively expelled a graduate student from its teaching program after he expressed resentment in his Facebook status for a community leader’s complaint that student teachers were coming from Syracuse rather than historically black colleges. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) reports:

“On July 20, 2011, Werenczak was student teaching with Danforth Middle School when he was introduced to a member of the city’s Concerned Citizens Action Program (CCAP).

Shortly afterward, in the presence of Werenczak and one other white student teacher, the CCAP member, who is black, said that he thought that the city schools should hire more teachers from historically black colleges.

Werenczak later discussed the remark on Facebook, saying, ‘Just making sure we’re okay with racism. It‘s not enough I’m … tutoring in the worst school in the city, I suppose I oughta be black or stay in my own side of town.‘

Werenczak further wrote that ’it kind of offends me that I’m basically volunteering the summer at Danforth, getting up at 630, with no AC, to help tutor kids and that’s not enough.’

While Werenczak was summoned to a meeting with administrators shortly before the school year began, he was not charged with any infraction of Syracuse’s rules and never received a disciplinary hearing. On September 7, however, Social Studies Education Coordinator Jeffery A. Mangram sent Werenczak a letter stating that the School of Education (SOE) was effectively expelling Werenczak because he had ‘posted on [his] Facebook page comments the SOE finds unprofessional, offensive, and insensitive not only to the Danforth School but also to the SOE and Syracuse University.’”

“FIRE wrote Syracuse University Chancellor Nancy Cantor on January 10, pointing out that SOE‘s action ’profoundly violates Syracuse’s express promises of freedom of speech.’ Syracuse promises in its Student Handbook that ‘[s]tudents have the right to express themselves freely on any subject‘ and that ’Syracuse University … welcomes and encourages the expression of dissent.’

Syracuse has failed to respond, leaving Werenczak’s future in limbo.

The nonprofit educational foundation notes that this is not the first time Syracuse has punished a student for online speech

“Syracuse’s promises of free speech and due process are rapidly becoming some of the biggest jokes in higher education,” said Kissel. “I can see why Werenczak might be disturbed about his job prospects after hearing a remark that implicated his race. But it’s impossible to see how any reasonable person in the School of Education could use such a mild, off-campus expression of offense to destroy a student’s career.”

Homosexuality is supposed to be a good thing and yet it also offensive to say someone is homosexual? Very confused! What happened to "gay pride"?

A Giants fan and Jersey City police detective who represents his Legislative District in the New Jersey State Assembly has been in hot water since posting a message on his Facebook profile Sunday night after the Giants’ shocking win over the Green Bay Packers:

“We are not going to just lay down, we come to play. Who the hell do you think we are the DALLAS COWGIRLS OR THOSE GAYBIRDS FROM PHILLY… NO WE ARE THE NEW YORK GIANTS.”

Assemblyman Charles Mainor‘s ’GAYBIRDS‘ and ’COWGIRLS’ comments have been criticized as anti-gay and anti-woman.

Steven Goldstein, chair and CEO of gay-rights group Garden State Equality, told The Jersey Journal Monday that Mainor’s comments were “inadvisable,” adding that they “hurt a lot of people.”

Mainor has apologized for the comment, even though he says he only wrote half of it. The Journal reports:

“Mainor was in Jersey City last night at a party to watch the Giants play the Green Bay Packers when he posted almost the entire above message on his Facebook page, he said. A friend of his sat at the computer and added the comment about the ‘gaybirds from Philly,’ Mainor said.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Jewish? Haddad is an Arab surname. Maybe he had a Jewish mother and an Arab father, I suppose. If he really is a Jew it is another instance of victim groups doing the harassing

A Jewish man was under arrest on hate-crime charges on Monday, accused of making anti-Semitic telephone calls to his mother and other elderly women and putting swastikas on apartment doors, police said.

A family business dispute drove David Haddad, 56, of Manhattan, who is Jewish, to make threatening phone calls to his mother, 80, and two other women, ages 87 and 78, a police source said.

Both the 87-year-old woman and a 78-year-old woman had anti-Semitic threats made to them over a month-long period and racist threats were left on a voicemail message, police said. Swastikas were also drawn on their apartment doors.

"He threatened to kill the other individual on the phone as well as her relatives," said a police spokesman. "He said basically that all Jews should die and go to hell."

Haddad, who was charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime, also was accused of taping notes with anti-Semitic symbols including swastikas on five apartment doors and in the hallway of a building in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan, US.

If she really is a committed Christian -- and it seems she is -- she is pretty pissweak to be offended by mention of it. Maybe she should read Matthew 10:33

"A blogger who characterised anti-porn activist Melinda Tankard Reist as a "fundamentalist Christian" says she has been asked to apologise - or be sued.

Tankard Reist - who briefed lawyers to warn off liberal blogger Jennifer Wilson - says it's not being called Christian she objects to, but the claim that she is "deceptive and duplicitous about her religious beliefs".

While Tankard Reist has not gone so far as to issue court proceedings yet, she complains social media has intensified the level of vituperation against outspoken figures such as herself.

The defiant blogger, who goes by the nom de plume No Place For Sheep, said she would continue to make strong criticisms of Tankard Reist - who can also dish it out. "I believe someone who makes public comment about morality really needs to be upfront about where they are coming from."

She insists that author Tankard Reist, whose resume includes advising anti-abortion senator Brian Harradine, is loath to discuss her links to evangelical Baptism.

"[Her] involvement with fundamentalist Christians opposed to abortion, contraception, surrogacy and homosexuality are well documented, and I have to wonder why she's singled me out at this point in time for writing about her religious beliefs," she said in a post written after the lawyer's letter.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

"Police singer Dorota Rabczewska has been fined for saying she doubted the Bible "because it's hard to believe in something that was written by someone drunk on wine and smoking some herbs."

A Polish court slapped a fine on a popular singer who bad-mouthed the Bible - the latest episode in which authorities grapple with religious defamation in a traditionally Catholic country that is growing increasingly secular.

Dorota Rabczewska, a singer who uses the stage name Doda, said in a 2009 interview that she doubted the Bible "because it's hard to believe in something that was written by someone drunk on wine and smoking some herbs."

A Warsaw court ordered her to pay a fine of 5000 zlotys ($1827) for offending religious feelings.

The case comes months after another Polish court let off a death metal performer, Adam Darski, who tore a Bible during a 2007 performance. It deemed his act artistic expression.

Annotated extracts of Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" will be republished in Germany next week for the first time since the Nazi dictator's fall in 1945, the British publisher of the text says.

Peter McGee says "a brochure of 12 to 15 pages" will be published on January 26 "in which extracts from Mein Kampf will be printed on one side and commentary from a well-known historian on the other".

"Everyone knows (the book) and sees it as a sort of diabolical Nazi Bible," he said. "But people haven't read it and therefore haven't seen that it is the poor-quality and confused work of a totally twisted mind," said McGee.

Mein Kampf (My Struggle) has been banned in Germany since the end of World War II, and the southern state of Bavaria holds the rights until 70 years after the Nazi dictator's death in 1945.

I actually regard Mein Kampf as an important educational resource that should be available to everyone. To understand the Nazi disaster, you need to understand the mind of Hitler and he sets out his thinking at great length in Mein Kampf.

Though I understand why the Green/Left would not want you to read it. You will find there, for instance, an echo of the constant Greenie panic about running out of resources. Hitler invaded Russia because he thought Germany was running out of resources and therefore needed to grab Russian resources.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

UK: Web site owner to be extradited to US on copyright infringement charges

We read:

"A judge ruled on Friday that a 23-year-old student can be extradited to the United States for running a website posting links to pirated TV shows and films, despite significant doubts over whether such sites break any UK laws. ...

Richard O'Dwyer, a computing student at Sheffield Hallam University, faces a potential 10-year term in a US jail despite never having been to America or using web servers based in the country."

"Whether it was his unorthodox play, outspoken religious views or likable underdog personality, Tim Tebow attracted unprecedented attention to his every move this season, becoming a sports and pop culture phenomenon. Unfortunately for Tebow fans, the ride came to an end Saturday night with a crushing loss to the New England Patriots.

Those watching the game from home may have noticed an advertisement during the second quarter of the broadcast from Focus On The Family, that did not exactly fall in line with the usual beer and Taco Bell commercials aired inbetween game breaks.

The ad featured children reciting John 3:16, which happens to be Tim Tebow’s favorite bible verse, followed by directions on how to donate $5 via text to the Evangelical Christian non-profit organization.

The Post reports that last year Fox Sports rejected a John 3:16-themed spot for the Super Bowl, stating it “does not accept from religious organizations for the purpose of advancing particular beliefs or practices.”

The Colorado Springs based nonprofit expects that they may hear criticism from Saturday’s ad, but say it’s worth it.

“We will hear about shoving religion down people’s throats,” Schneeberger told the Post. “But if it‘s OK to shove Doritos down people’s throats, and cars and everything else, we have the right to advertise, too.”

Monday, January 16, 2012

Britain's nasty black racist politician again

We read:

"Ed Miliband faced new calls to rebuke Labour frontbencher Diane Abbott last night after she told a young, Tory-voting black graduate who asked her for work that she wasn’t doing the ‘black thing’ and should ‘go and work for a white Conservative’ instead.

The new race row involving Ms Abbott comes two weeks after she was forced to apologise for saying ‘white people love to divide and rule’ following the trial of the killers of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Politics graduate Jade Knight, 25, told yesterday how she approached Ms Abbott about the chances of work after recognising her at a branch of Boots in London’s Piccadilly.

‘So I went downstairs and found Ms Abbott and said I hoped she didn’t mind me asking her, but if there was any kind of work I could do for her, I would love the opportunity.

‘She said, “You’d be better off working for a white Conservative. You’re a black conservative, you don’t do the black thing.” I couldn’t believe she had said it.

‘She was basically accusing me of selling out, which is not true. I told her being a conservative wasn’t going against my heritage. Anyone who understands black culture knows black culture can be very conservative. I thought she would understand that as she is educated.’

"Tim Tebow is more than just a sports phenomenon. He’s a cultural phenomenon. For starters, Tebow’s very existence is somehow controversial. He’s a walking pro-life testimonial. He’s been pulling off comebacks since before he was born. Pam Tebow, Tim’s mother, courageously chose to carry baby Tim to term despite doctors’ recommendations that she abort him.

You may recall that before Tim went pro, the Christian group, Focus on the Family, commissioned an innocuous TV ad that ran during the 2010 Saints-Colts Super Bowl game. It briefly told the story of the Tebows’ pre-natal struggle. The word “abortion” was never even uttered, but a positive portrayal of childbearing was all it took.

And so began the left’s hate affair with Tim Tebow. Radical feminist groups, media-types and liberal pundits alike lost their collective noodle even before the ad ran.

Erin Mattson, vice president of The National Organization for Women (NOW), told ABC News that Tim’s story of survival was “really quite offensive. … This ad is hate masquerading as love!” she barked. Tim wasn’t dismembered alive and scraped in pieces from his mother’s womb, you see.

The New York-based Women’s Media Center launched a failed censorship petition drive to pull the ad, framing it as an “attack on choice.” Get it? Pam Tebow chose alright; she just happened to make the wrong “choice,” and dared to share about it publicly.

But as a Denver Bronco, Tim Tebow’s profile has grown exponentially. So too has the left’s hatred for him. This is due in large part to his very open Christian faith. After each game, Tim begins by thanking God: “First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

And who hasn’t heard of “Tebowing,” wherein one drops to a knee in prayer?

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Call for boycott of Girl Scout cookies is hate speech?

Shouldn't that be a girlcott or a personcott?

In a recent video gaining traction on the web, a teenage Girl Scout calls for a boycott of their famous cookies after a 7-year-old transgendered girl was admitted into a Colorado Girl Scout troop. The 8-minute clip on YouTube has been viewed more than 134,000 times in a little more than 12 hours since it began circulating the web.

In the video, a Girl Scout identified by World News Daily as 14-year-old Taylor from Ventura County, Calif., claims the organization is “promoting the desires of a small handful of people” “GSUSA and councils are focused on adult agendas that have nothing to do with helping girls,” she says in the video.

Appearing to be reading from a script, the teen lists her complaints against the organization: Having biological boys in the Girl Scouts organization presents a safety hazard for girls. Money from cookies sales goes to the organization that promotes these issues, she says. At the end of the video, Taylor asks viewers to visit the website honestgirlscouts.com where a flyer stating the Girl Scouts of the USA promotes abortion and LGBT rights is available for download.

"Weight Watchers Australia has banned the word "fat" from its online message board in what appears to be another case of political correctness going too far.

Disgusted members of the Weight Watchers community forum are being told the three-letter word is no longer considered acceptable language on the site.

Posts containing any mention of "fat" are blocked and attract an automated reply: "Sorry, but your message contains language that we consider to be inappropriate for WeightWatchers.com.au message boards and violates our community standards and conduct guidelines, which are part of our terms and conditions.

"The following word is not permissible on our site: FAT. "If you would still like to send your message, go back and delete the word." A member, who contacted The Courier-Mail, said "fat" had become a "dirty word" on the Weight Watchers message board last month.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

This is a complete absurdity. New York Jews sure should keep away from India. Symbols like the one above are plastered up everywhere in India.

On the Nazi symbol the arms face forward. Above you see that they face backward, which the way they usually (though not always) face in Asia. They are a common Asian good luck symbol.

And this might be an occasion to note that the Nazis did NOT call their symbol a swastika. They called it a "Hakenkreuz" (hooked cross). It was only purblind Anglo-Saxons who confused it with the Asian symbol known in India as a "swastik".

And why did the Nazis choose that symbol? Because one of their American predecessors (a "Progressive") said it was two entwined letters "S". And why "S"? For socialism, of course! The Hakenkreuz is a symbol of socialism!

I might as well straighten out all the confusions about this so I will also mention that the swastik associated with the Indian elephant god (Ganesha) goes the same way as the Nazi symbol. Don't ask me why but Ganesha devotees were doing it that way long before Hitler came along.

I in fact have on my wall a copper swastik with a Ganesha figure in the middle of it but I guess I had better not take it with me if ever I go to New York again. People who can't see which way the arms are facing above probably would not be able to see the Ganesha figure in the middle of my swastik either!

The owner of a Brooklyn jewelry store criticized for selling swastika earrings will reportedly stop selling the controversial item.

New York City Councilman Steve Levin, D-Brooklyn, visited Bejeweled in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, on Wednesday and met with owner Young Sook Kim, who agreed to remove them from the shelves, the Daily News reports.

A day earlier, politicians and advocates told FoxNews.com that the earrings were the latest example of anti-Semitism in New York and New Jersey. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer demanded that the store immediately stop selling them.

"Let me be clear -- a swastika is not a fashion statement," Stringer said in a statement to FoxNews.com. "It is the most hateful symbol in our culture, and an insult to any civilized person."

But the store's manager defended the $5.99 earrings, saying the swastika is a symbol of eternity in Tibetan Buddhism, not just a symbol popularized by Nazi Germany. "It's not a Nazi symbol," Kim told FoxNews.com on Wednesday. "I don't know what's the problem. My earrings are coming from India as a Buddhist symbol."

One understands the sensitivities involved but this is definitely going too far:

Should it be a crime to liken individuals to Nazis? In Israel, there’s a new bill being proposed that would criminalize this offensive comparison. In fact, according to the AP, the penalty for comparing an individual or multiple persons to the radical ideology would be up to six months in jail, a $25,000 fine for actually using the word “Nazi” or for utilizing Holocaust-related symbols for anything other than teaching, research or documentation.

“I am pleased that the government is supporting this important law,” Ariel said in response to the bill’s success thus far. “Unfortunately we have been witness in recent years to the cynical exploitation of Nazi symbols and phraseology, which is offensive to Holocaust survivors, their families, and many others among the Jewish people.”

While Ariel is content, civil rights groups are extremely concerned over the bill, as they maintain that it will severely impede individuals’ rights should it be passed. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel came out strongly opposed to the proposal.

“Freedom of expression is the right to say harsh, piercing and even offensive words,” the organization said in a statement. “It is the right to express crass and extreme attitudes, feelings and thoughts, and also includes the right to make use of harsh rhetoric and provocative imagery.”

Friday, January 13, 2012

"Jeremy Clarkson's comments have once again sparked fury after he compared synchronised swimming to the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe.

In a column for the Sun, the Top Gear presenter said the sport amounted to 'Chinese women in hats, upside down, in a bit of water.' He added: 'You can see that sort of thing on Morecambe Beach. For free.'

Twenty-three Chinese migrant workers were drowned picking cockles in Morecambe Bay in 2004 after they were trapped by the rising tide.

The deaths of the men and women - aged between 18 and 45 - exposed the illegal practices of gangmasters who exploit vulnerable migrant workers for cheap labour.

"Papa Johns pizza has issued an apology to a customer after an employee identified her as 'lady chinky eyes' in her order. The racial identification was caught by New York City customer Minhee Cho Friday night after the store printed her receipt.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, she uploaded a picture of the paper with the caption: 'Hey @PapaJohns just FYI my name isn't 'lady chinky eyes"

But by Saturday evening, the company had reached out to Ms Cho with an apology. 'We were extremely concerned to learn of the receipt issue in New York. This act goes against our company values, and we've confirmed with the franchisee that this matter was addressed immediately and that the employee is being terminated,' they write.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Must not speak the truth about "boat people"

"Boat people" are illegal immigrants, mostly Afghans and other poorly educated Muslims, who arrive in Australian waters by boat. They are immediatey imprisoned on arrival while their claims to be asylum seekers are assessed

SERCO, the company that runs immigration detention, has stood down an officer who posted Facebook comments saying Muslim children in detention did not deserve Christmas presents and male detainees taught their children it was acceptable to beat wives.

The Serco officer, who has direct contact with asylum seekers held at the Darwin Airport Lodge, posted the Facebook comments on Monday, after an incident in which Christmas presents for 200 children were not handed out by officers until 12 days after Christmas.

In the first Facebook comment, the officer wrote: "Sad for all the Christian kids! Not sure why Islamist (sic?) would want Christmas present."

A short time later he posted: "I don't know of any country in the world that you can enter illegally an be granted freedom immediately! No one abuses them, perhaps u forget the saying it takes two to tango. Maybe you need to come and face these men who teach their children that women have no rights. I guess you must think there is nothing wrong with domestic violence."

"I thought they were pretty outrageous comments," Ms Martin-Iverson said. "What he essentially said is they are wife beaters. It is horrific and he is working directly with asylum seekers." She contacted the immigration department and the department's compliance division responded.

Conservative Australian politician sorry for saying migrants don't know how to wear deodorant or line up properly

An outspoken person of Italian origin again! Her comments were undoubtedly too general but the big immigration issue in Australia at the moment is the "boat people" -- and most Australians would have understood that she was referring to them. And her comments would be true of many of them

A Liberal [Party] MP who said migrants should learn how to use deodorant has been reprimanded by her party and ordered to apologise.

Opposition citizenship spokeswoman Teresa Gambaro said lessons on hygiene and common courtesy would make immigrants fit in better in Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

Acting Opposition Leader Warren Truss said Ms Gambaro had been left in no doubt she was out of line. "She obviously went too far in her comments and they're certainly out of step with modern Australian attitudes," he said.

Ms Gambaro had said new arrivals should be taught to use deodorant on public transport and not push in when queuing, as well as other lessons like the importance of immunisation. "Without trying to be offensive, we are talking about hygiene and what is an acceptable norm in this country," she said in an interview with The Australian.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Must not mention the strange behavior of Touretters

We read:

"David Cameron [British PM] was forced to apologise yesterday after describing Commons heckling by Labour bruiser Ed Balls as like ‘having someone with Tourette’s sitting opposite you’. He said his jibe at the Shadow Chancellor – someone he has also branded ‘the most annoying person in modern politics’ – had been made ‘off the cuff’.

The remark prompted angry criticism from disability campaigners, who said that the Prime Minister had shown a lack of understanding of the inherited neurological condition which often causes sufferers to swear involuntarily.

Mr Balls has turned his barracking of Mr Cameron during weekly Commons question time into an art form, with carefully rehearsed hand gestures and shouts designed to put him off his stride.

Speaking about the Shadow Chancellor in an interview, Mr Cameron said: ‘He just annoys me. I don’t really hate anyone in life. ‘But I’m very bad, in the House of Commons, at not getting distracted – and the endless, ceaseless banter, it’s like having someone with Tourette’s permanently sitting opposite you.’

"As a leading carmaker Volkswagen is revered for its radical thinking and engineering genius. Sadly for the German business, it is a little less adept when it comes to extricating itself from a PR nightmare.

With the launch of its new ‘up!’ supermini looming, the firm decided on a few special editions to boost sales of the model.

One, however, proved a little controversial. While the ‘white up!’ was always on safe ground, the ‘black up!’ was clearly heading for trouble.

UK bosses blocked the name fearing that if it was used in Britain, it could give offence to ethnic minorities – because of the connotation of white actors and singers ‘blacking up’ to perform as minstrels.

The solution they came up with however was hardly inspired. Bosses simply decided to reverse the words and call it the ‘up! black’.

Funnily enough, no one has been convinced and a PR storm that could have been averted now refuses to blow over. Matthew Collins, of campaigning organisation Hope Not Hate, branded the name ‘insensitive’. He said: ‘In this country at the moment we seem to be dealing with an explosion in racism and these are not the wisest of words to have been chosen.’

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Political correctness does not come easily to Italians

If that's a stereotype then its a complimentary one in my view. I say what I think and I think well of others who do likewise. And few people could have been more "incorrect" than former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (known for saying Obama had a "nice suntan", among other things. That one still cracks me up). And he was the longest serving Italian Prime Minister for many years.

Even in America think of the "incorrect" Tom Tancredo, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the late Joey Vento, and now maybe Rick Santorum -- all of Italian descent

A RIGHT-wing Italian deputy mayor has found himself at the centre of a political storm after his anti-gay slurs against a left-wing governor provoked widespread outrage - and a rebuke from his own party.

And much of the drama has been played out on the Facebook pages of the politicians involved.

Giuseppe Ripa, deputy mayor of the southern town of Lecce, launched his attack on Nichi Vendola, the governor of Apulia, in a posting on Facebook.

"In nature, there exist only two types human beings: the man and the woman," he wrote. The rest were psychiatric cases apt for psychoanalytic treatment, said Ripa, a member of Silvio Berlsuconi's People of Freedom party.

Lecce's mayor, Paolo Perrone, was quick to distance himself from the remarks. "I like to practice politics by debating with my adversaries on the issues, not on the sexual preferences of this or that person, which are a matter of one's private life," he wrote in his own Facebook posting.

"Mrs Mensch is said to have 'hit the roof' and complained to David Cameron after Sarah Vine, wife of Education Secretary Michael Gove, said she had 'pert, but modest-sized breasts'.

Ms Vine had responded to an interview in GQ magazine in which Mrs Mensch was photographed looking glamorous, but complained women politicians were judged on their appearance, according to the Sunday Independent.

Writing in the Times under the headline, 'Are you a Jordan or a Mensch?' Ms Vine said: 'Mensch is 40, but has the face of a 25-year-old. Who knows she may have great genes. Or not.

'Whatever, her look is typical of countless women her age of similar social status and means. 'A smooth face and clear complexion, pert but modest-sized breasts, a lithe and toned body - pure Made In Chelsea.

Monday, January 09, 2012

"Comedian Bill Maher is continuing to spread his anti-Tim Tebow sentiment. On New Year’s Eve, the host of HBO’s “Real Time,” once again, took to Twitter to poke jabs at the Denver Broncos quarterback.

Maher posted two back-to-back tweets featuring the now infamous “Tebowing” stance. The first tweet, which read, “TREEbowing Happy New Year everybody and thanks for the 600,000 who joined me on twitter in 2011,” featured a link to a picture of Maher Tebowing in a tree (hence the “TREEbowing” reference).

In the picture attached to his second tweet, Maher is photographed Tebowing next to a man he claims looks like the now-deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (coincidentally, Maher misspelled the former leader’s name).

These images and tweets follow a previous Christmas Eve Twitter message from Maher that gained a great deal of attention. Following the Denver Broncos’ loss to the Buffalo Bills (the final score was 40-14), Maher wrote, “Wow, Jesus just f**ked #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.”

This is primarily a privacy issue -- and there's not much privacy in the age of the internet -- but I think Amazon would have a free speech defense.

Going by the photo above, the gal certainly looks a lot younger than she is so I can understand why she is peeved

An actress suing Amazon's Internet Movie Database (IMDb) website for revealing her age has identified herself in an amended complaint filed Friday.

Huong Hoang, of Texas, filed her suit in October as "Jane Doe," claiming that the only way IMDb could have found out her real age was if it had used her credit card details, obtained when she purchased an "industry insider" package from the website in the hope of gaining more work.

The 40-year-old actress - who goes by the stage name Junie Hoang - claimed she has since lost out on work opportunities due to Hollywood's stigma against older actresses and is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

The B-grade actress has appeared in TV shows 1000 Ways to Die and Operation Repo and in the movies Gingerbread Man 3 and Saturday Night Cleaver.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Italy's state-owned train firm accused of racism for using Indian family on advert promoting fourth-class seats

We read:

"Italy's national train company has been accused of racism after an advert promoting its new four-class system showed a family of Asian immigrants in the cheapest seats.

Trenitalia's advertising campaign for its high-speed Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) intercity trains spectacularly backfired because white Italians were used for each of the other classes.

The state-owned firm's online brochure was hastily removed and replaced with a more 'politically correct' version following a series of complaints.

Blogger Alessandro Gilioli highlighted what he described as 'xenophobic overtones' of the advert on the website of weekly L'Espresso.

He said: 'If the concept [of social segregation] wasn't clear enough, here is the image chose to publicise the lowest class: an Asian family, presumably immigrants. 'Curiously, all the clients in the Premium and Executive classes are white.

I am not sure she is totally wrong about this. I spent a couple of years in my early days driving taxis part-time out of Sydney's red-light district (King's Cross) and I never knowingly drove past anyone if the cab was vacant but with the amount of black crime in London today I am not so sure that I would stop for everyone now if I were driving in London

But of course her offence was just to mention a racial matter. Truth is no defence in politically correct Britain

"Labour Party chiefs were today looking into a second controversial tweet from MP Diane Abbott after she suggested London cabbies drive past black customers.

Many taxi drivers across the capital were fuming after details of the new gaffe by Britain’s first black woman MP, who is shadow health minister, was revealed.

She sent a message from her iPhone on Tuesday: 'Dubious of black people claiming they’ve never experienced racism. 'Ever tried hailing a taxi I always wonder?'

Steve McNamara, a spokesman for the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, said: 'This is outdated, racist stereotyping that has no place in a modern, multicultural city like London.

'A lot of drivers are angry today about this, including a black driver who is one of our members, who was outraged. “I think she will have difficulty hailing a cab after this.'

Saturday, January 07, 2012

Brits can find racism under every bed

We read:

"The day before, an articulated lorry [truck] from Holland arrived at the market and the driver, confronted by unmanageable confusion, abandoned his vehicle and disappeared. So our fork‑lift man began unloading the goods on pallets from the back.

Next thing, a policeman arrives and orders him to shift the vehicle. He says it isn’t his. The officer repeats his instruction, more forcefully.

The fork-lift man explains he hasn’t got the keys and isn’t HGV-licensed anyway. ‘Well, go and find the driver and tell him to move!’ ‘It won’t matter to him, mate. He’s Dutch. He doesn’t speak a word of English.’

The policeman’s eyes narrowed. ‘You watch what you say,’ he barked. ‘I could nick you for racism.’

Making racist mountains out of molehills clouds the debate. There is enough race-related wickedness in the world we need to address without creating false controversies.

It is not racist to say a foreign man does not speak English (although, being Dutch, he probably does). It is not even insulting.

Labour [party] shadow minister Diane Abbott has apologised after claiming that white people "love playing divide and rule" as she came under fire from her own party and was called "stupid and crass" by Nick Clegg [British Liberal leader]

Miss Abbott, the shadow public health minister, was responding to a commentator who said she disliked the “lazy” and "monolithic" use of the term “black community” during coverage of the Stephen Lawrence murder trial.

Bim Adewunmi, a freelance journalist, wrote on Twitter that she found many black "leaders" shown in the media to be out of touch with the people they purport to represent.

Abbott responded to say the comments were “playing into a ‘divide and rule’ agenda” that is as “old as colonialism”. She said black people should not “wash dirty linen in public.”

Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi said Miss Abbott's apology was insufficient and called on her to step down for "inciting hatred"."Her comments were clearly racist," he said.

"For someone in that position of that position of leadership to have that view is untenable. She is a shadow minister. To hold the view that 'white people' would behave that way is outrageous and hurtful.

"I've had so many emails about this. It is hurtful to label my constituents as people who would divide and conquer black people. If this was a white MP saying black people like dividing white people they'd be out in five minutes. She should do the decent thing and resign."

Friday, January 06, 2012

There has been a series of firebomb attacks in NYC during which buildings owned by Muslims, Christians and Hindus have been bombed. Apparently that was caused by anti-Islamic hate speech!

According to Associated Press:

Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the advocacy group, said CAIR recently called on the FBI to investigate threats targeting mosques posted on an anti-Islam blog called "Bare Naked Islam."

One comment on the site read: "Throw 10 Molotov cocktails into these mosques and burn them down," according to Hooper. By Monday, the comment appeared to have been taken down by blog operator WordPress.com.

For Hooper to bring up the Bare Naked Islam website in this manner is blatantly dishonest. The entire Bare Naked Islam website was suspended on Friday after Wordpress received pressure from CAIR. The site went back up over the weekend.

The comment that led Wordpress to initially remove the website from its servers was left by a visitor, and was not part of any editorial policy by Bonni, who runs the site.

The Iowa caucuses may not have much predictive value, but they did a wonderful job of unmasking both elitist whingers on the left and incompetent whiners on the right.

As they do every presidential election cycle, progressives of pallor wore their indelible disdain for Middle America on their sleeves. Pale-faced University of Iowa journalism professor Stephen Bloom launched a 6,000-word jeremiad, littered with factual errors, against his home state's residents. The abridged version: Raaaaaaaacists! Hicks! Christians! Argggh!

In the safe harbors of The Atlantic just a few weeks before Tuesday's electoral event, Bloom sneered: "Those who stay in rural Iowa are often the elderly waiting to die." The rest are "(a)n assortment of waste-toids and meth addicts with pale skin and rotted teeth or those who quixotically believe, like Little Orphan Annie, that 'the sun will come out tomorrow.'" One of the poison-tongued prof's own former journalism students, Kirsten Scharnberg Hampton, took him to task for citing faulty demographic statistics, derisively stereotyping hunters and falsely accusing a local newspaper of "splashing" the headline "He Is Risen" across its front page (it was a small, boxed quotation marking Easter Sunday).

The above report is by Michelle Malkin. She uses the word "whingers", which I believe is not common in the USA. It's often used in Britain and Australia where it refers to the sort of petulant sound that an overtired baby or toddler might make -- or any constant low key complaining

Thursday, January 05, 2012

"At the end of the first period of their New Year's Eve game, the Montreal Canadiens battled the Florida Panthers around the Florida net. Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban and Florida defenseman Erik Gudbranson were both given double-minor penalties for slashing and roughing. But Krys Barch of the Panthers, rather inexplicably at the time, was given a game misconduct. The eventual explanation was shocking:

According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Barch was ejected after linesman Darren Gibbs overheard him using a racial slur towards Subban. The report was supported by the Sun-Sentinel, which reported that "a linesman overheard Barch uttering a teasing-type slur toward Montreal's P.K. Subban, a native black Canadian."

Subban told the Montreal media that he didn't hear a slur and that no one else on his team did either. Erik Cole added that he heard something but wasn't sure what. To paraphrase, he said it could have been something related to Subban's parents.

"Trash talking is as old as football itself. A player baiting another player with a taunt or threat is usually par for the course during any game, especially a game between rivals or with championship significance.

So, it was no surprise that Monday's Gator Bowl betweenFlorida and Ohio State — two teams that have loved Urban Meyer — had a little more vitriol than usual. What was surprising was the type of caustic comments being said.

Ohio State linebacker Tyler Moeller said Florida players hurled racial slurs at him throughout the game and that that sparked some of the chippiness during the 24-17 Florida win.

"They're classless. That's the way I'd put it," Moeller said, according to Marcus Hartman from Buckeye Sports Bulletin. "I've never seen more people swing at our players and call us racial slurs. I've never been called a 'cracker' more in my life than I have today. So I don't really have much respect for them in terms of that but they're a good team. They came out and outplayed us today."

It's interesting that in other leagues, especially soccer leagues where there are many different ethnicities on one field, this kind of stuff is severely punished. Unfortunately, this will probably go relatively unnoticed.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

"Social websites including Google and Facebook have been ordered by an Indian court to remove all 'anti-religious' and 'anti-social' content within six weeks.

On Saturday a Delhi Court ordered 22 social networking sites, including Yahoo and Microsoft, to wipe the objectionable and defamatory contents and file compliance reports by February 6, 2012.

Additional Civil Judge Mukesh Kumar passed the order on a suit filed by Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi seeking to restrain the websites from circulating objectionable and defamatory contents.

Qasmi had objected to a number of images on the websites which he complained would cause 'irreparable loss and injury to the people who are offended by them'. He argued that some of the images defamed Hindu gods, Prophet Mohammed and other religious figures, India Today website reported.

The order will raise serious questions about how users' posts and opinions will be edited, censorship and freedom of expression.

On December 22 Judge Kumar had issued summonses to the social networking sites, demanding they remove photographs, videos or texts that might offend religious sentiments, the Hindustan Times website reported.

The order comes a day after a criminal court issued summonses to the sites for facing trial for allegedly webcasting objectionable contents.

Even if the companies removed stuff from their Indian sites, people could still locate most of the material on sites in the USA -- where Indian courts have no jurisdiction.

Following the Gutnick case, Indian courts could still however award damages for a libel of an Indian citizen that appeared on a U.S. site. It cost the pre-Murdoch Dow Jones half a million dollars to find that out. The Gutnick case was over defamation of an Australian citizen but both Indian and Australian law are based on British law so there is no doubt that the Gutnick case would be a secure precedent.

But this furore does not appear to be about defamation, which has always been a separate area of law.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Maryland state workers say American Flag Violates Law‏

We read:

"A Maryland community is up in arms after state highway workers removed an American flag honoring military personnel from a traffic circle and threw it into a dump truck. “We want our flag back,” Rhonda Winkler told Fox News & Commentary. “We are patriots and we love America.”

Winkler and her family erected the flag in a traffic circle three years ago in the town of Woodbine. They posted the flag to honor their nephew, a soldier deployed to Afghanistan.

“They told us it was against the law to erect a flag on the traffic circle,” Winkler said. “They told my husband that whoever put up the flag could be arrested for trespassing.”

State highway workers also told her that people had complained about Old Glory. “We figured it’s the American flag and we live in the United States of America – how can anyone have a problem with it,” Winkler asked.

The flags removal sparked outrage across the community. Dozens of people turned out for a rally – many people waving flags. It was especially moving for local residents who have loved ones serving in the military.

“If it was something derogatory or inappropriate, that’s one thing,” resident Gene Mellin told the newspaper. “But to take the flag down, it’s not right.

As for now – there’s no indication if the state of Maryland will reverse their decision – or if the Winkler family will get back their flag. She said state workers have refused to return the Stars and Stripes.

From my limited contact with them, the HKs are not a very humble lot but they are not alone in that. I think they are essentially peaceful.

Russian courts are set to decide today whether the book central to the non-violent Hare Krishna movement is 'extremist' and should be banned.

Prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk say that the Russian translation of Bhagavad Gita As It Is - which teaches humane attitudes to all living things - encourages 'social discord' and hatred towards non-believers.

They said it should join Adolf Hitler's manifesto Mein Kampf on Russia's Federal List of Extremist Materials, a register of banned books containing more than 1,000 prohibited texts.

Yuri Pleshkov, a spokesman for the group in Russia, said the book in question has existed in the country for 25 years and has never inspired violence or extremist activity.

The Foreign Ministry insisted that the Tomsk court is not taking issue with core Hindu scripture itself, but rather with the author's commentary and poor translation in Bhagavad Gita As It Is.

'I would like to emphasize that this is not about 'Bhagavad Gita,' a religious philosophical poem, which forms part of the great Indian epic Mahabharata and is one of the most famous pieces of the ancient Hindu literature,' ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said at a briefing in Moscow on Thursday, adding that the book was first published in Russian in 1788.

Monday, January 02, 2012

Lawmaker wants to outlaw national anthem parodies

Seems reasonable but sad that it's needed.

An Indiana state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would set specific “performance standards” for singing the national anthem. State Sen. Vaneta Becker’s legislation would affect all renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed at any event sponsored by public schools or state universities

Performers would have to sign a contract agreeing to follow certain lyrical and melodic guidelines, and would be fined $25 if they failed to meet the appropriate standards.

According to the Star, Becker‘s bill doesn’t lay out what is considered “acceptable” — instead, those guidelines would be determined by the state’s Department of Education

Becker, a Republican, told the newspaper she would expect the guidelines to require the anthem be sung with the usual lyrics to the traditional melody: “The way that we normally have it sung or heard throughout most of our state and our country.”

She said she wrote the bill after a constituent complained about a school program in which the anthem was parodied in a way the constituent thought was disrespectful. Becker told the Star said she herself has heard parody versions of the national anthem on TV.

She insisted she only wants to punish those who make intentional changes — not people who can’t carry a tune.

Other states already have laws on the books dealing with “The Star-Spangled Banner”: In Massachusetts, it’s illegal to play the anthem as dance music, an exit march or part of a medley, punishable by a $100 fine. In Michigan, a similar law can earn violators a misdemeanor.

Any poll normally has a range of answers and they will normally include answers that the pollster himself disagrees with. The only issue is whether the poll represents the likely range of opinion. And this one seems to have done just that. This furore is just an attempt to hide the truth about what some people think.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

"Jeremy Clarkson has been accused of offensive behaviour once again after mocking Indian culture in a Top Gear Christmas special.

Viewers have complained to the BBC after the outspoken presenter made a series of controversial remarks about the country's clothing, trains, food and history.

At one point, Clarkson appeared to make light of the lack of sanitation for poor residents by driving around slums in a Jaguar fitted with a toilet.

Showing off the car's convenience, he boasted: “This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots.”

Many viewers took to social networks and internet message boards to voice their objections about the show, in which the Top Gear team set out to boost British trade links with the subcontinent.

Owen Hathway tweeted: “Whats wrong with the BBC that they think casual racist stereotyping is acceptable on top gear?”

In one scene, Jeremy Clarkson is seen taking off his trousers in front of two Indian dignitaries to show them how to use a trouser press.

In another, the Top Gear team place banners promoting British industry on trains. One read, 'British IT is good for your company', and another, 'Eat English muffins'. But the message became intentionally obscene when the carriages of the trains separate and the banner splits.

That slogan on the train was very rude. I think it does Clarkson no credit: Schoolboy humor. More pictures here. Gratuitously insulting his hosts is neither clever nor funny.

Update:

I think I am more than usually bothered by Clarkson's antics on this occasion because I like Indians. And I put my money where my mouth is: I have been to India three times and I have Indians living with me in my house.

The one redeeming feature of this affair is that the Indians would barely have comprehended what Clarkson was doing. If they did, they would probably have concluded that he is mad. It would not occur to them that they were dealing with a 5-year-old in a man's body.

Is the American national anthem politically incorrect? From the 4th verse:Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

Mohammad

"HATE SPEECH" is free speech: The U.S. Supreme Court stated the general rule regarding protected speech in Texas v. Johnson (109 S.Ct. at 2544), when it held: "The government may not prohibit the verbal or nonverbal expression of an idea merely because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable." Federal courts have consistently followed this. Said Virginia federal district judge Claude Hilton: "The First Amendment does not recognize exceptions for bigotry, racism, and religious intolerance or ideas or matters some may deem trivial, vulgar or profane."

Even some advocacy of violence is protected by the 1st Amendment. In Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969), the U.S. Supreme Court held unanimously that speech advocating violent illegal actions to bring about social change is protected by the First Amendment "except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action."

The double standard: Atheists can put up signs and billboards saying that Christianity is wrong and that is hunky dory. But if a Christian says that homosexuality is wrong, that is attacked as "hate speech"

One for the militant atheists to consider: "...it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg" -- Thomas Jefferson

"I think no subject should be off-limits, and I regard the laws in many Continental countries criminalizing Holocaust denial as philosophically repugnant and practically useless – in that they confirm to Jew-haters that the Jews control everything (otherwise why aren’t we allowed to talk about it?)" -- Mark Steyn

Voltaire's most famous saying was actually a summary of Voltaire's thinking by one of his biographers rather than something Voltaire said himself. Nonetheless it is a wholly admirable sentiment: "I disagree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it". I am of a similar mind.

The traditional advice about derogatory speech: "Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you". Apparently people today are not as emotionally robust as their ancestors were.

The KKK were members of the DEMOCRATIC party. Google "Klanbake" if you doubt it

A phobia is an irrational fear, so the terms "Islamophobic" and "homophobic" embody a claim that the people so described are mentally ill. There is no evidence for either claim. Both terms are simply abuse masquerading as diagnoses and suggest that the person using them is engaged in propaganda rather than in any form of rational or objective discourse.

Leftists often pretend that any mention of race is "racist" -- unless they mention it, of course. But leaving such irrational propaganda aside, which statements really are racist? Can statements of fact about race be "racist"? Such statements are simply either true or false. The most sweeping possible definition of racism is that a racist statement is a statement that includes a negative value judgment of some race. Absent that, a statement is not racist, for all that Leftists might howl that it is. Facts cannot be racist so nor is the simple statement of them racist. Here is a statement that cannot therefore be racist by itself, though it could be false: "Blacks are on average much less intelligent than whites". If it is false and someone utters it, he could simply be mistaken or misinformed.

Categorization is a basic human survival skill so racism as the Left define it (i.e. any awareness of race) is in fact neither right nor wrong. It is simply human

Whatever your definition of racism, however, a statement that simply mentions race is not thereby racist -- though one would think otherwise from American Presidential election campaigns. Is a statement that mentions dogs, "doggist" or a statement that mentions cats, "cattist"?

If any mention of racial differences is racist then all Leftists are racist too -- as "affirmative action" is an explicit reference to racial differences

Was Abraham Lincoln a racist? "You and we are different races. We have between us a broader difference than exists between almost any other two races. Whether it is right or wrong I need not discuss, but this physical difference is a great disadvantage to us both, as I think your race suffer very greatly, many of them by living among us, while ours suffer from your presence. In a word, we suffer on each side. If this be admitted, it affords a reason at least why we should be separated. It is better for both, therefore, to be separated." -- Spoken at the White House to a group of black community leaders, August 14th, 1862

Gimlet-eyed Leftist haters sometimes pounce on the word "white" as racist. Will the time come when we have to refer to the White House as the "Full spectrum of light" House?

The spirit of liberty is "the spirit which is not too sure that it is right." and "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it. While it lies there it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it." -- Judge Learned Hand

Mostly, a gaffe is just truth slipping out

Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)

First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean

It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.

It seems a pity that the wisdom of the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus is now little known. Remember, wrote the Stoic thinker, "that foul words or blows in themselves are no outrage, but your judgment that they are so. So when any one makes you angry, know that it is your own thought that has angered you. Wherefore make it your endeavour not to let your impressions carry you away."

"Since therefore the knowledge and survey of vice is in this world so necessary to the constituting of human virtue, and the scanning of error to the confirmation of truth, how can we more safely, and with less danger, scout into the regions of sin and falsity than by reading all manner of tractates, and hearing all manner of reason?" -- English poet John Milton (1608-1674) in Areopagitica

Leftists can try to get you fired from your job over something that you said and that's not an attack on free speech. But if you just criticize something that they say, then that IS an attack on free speech

The intellectual Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) could have been speaking of much that goes on today when he said: "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."

I despair of the ADL. Jews have enough problems already and yet in the ADL one has a prominent Jewish organization that does its best to make itself offensive to Christians. Their Leftism is more important to them than the welfare of Jewry -- which is the exact opposite of what they ostensibly stand for! Jewish cleverness seems to vanish when politics are involved. Fortunately, Christians are true to their saviour and have loving hearts. Jewish dissatisfaction with the myopia of the ADL is outlined here. Note that Foxy was too grand to reply to it.

NOTE: The archives provided by blogspot below are rather inconvenient. They break each month up into small bits. If you want to scan whole months at a time, the backup archives will suit better. See here or here